BR55 series
'XBR55 Service Rifle' Name: XBR55 Service Rifle Model: Misriah Armory XBR55 Service Rifle Type: firearm Scale: character Skill: firearms Ammo: 60 round magazine Fire Rate: Three-Round Burst, semi-automatic Caliber: 9.5x40mm KURZ/.374 Caliber rounds Range: 1-238/475/950m Damage: 5D Game Notes: If the scope is used for one round of aiming, the character receives an additional +1D to firearms. Description:The XBR55 Service Rifle, more commonly known as the XBR55 Battle Rifle, is the first model of the BR55 line; it is described as "a prototype long barreled weapons with an Telescopic Sight." The weapon fires 9.5MMx40 FMJ SAP ammunition from a 60 round magazine and has a range of at least 900 meters. It was issued to Staff Sergeants Avery Johnson and Nolan Byrne as well as their militia squads' marksmen, Critchley and Jenkins by Lieutenant Commander Jilan al-Cygni for use during the Harvest event during the year 2525. Source: *Halo Wiki: XBR55 Service Rifle *thedemonapostle 'BR55 Service Rifle' Name: BR55 Service Rifle Model: Misriah Armory BR55 Service Rifle Type: firearm Scale: character Skill: firearms Ammo: 36 round magazine Fire Rate: Single Shot, Three-round Burst, Full Auto Caliber: 9.5x40mm KURZ/.374 Caliber rounds Range: 1-238/475/950m Damage: 5D Game Notes: If the scope is used for one round of aiming, the character receives an additional +1D to firearms. Description The BR55 Service Rifle, commonly known as the Battle Rifle, is a United Nations Space Command infantry service rifle. It was first seen in Halo 2, although it has been in service since 2525. It is the older of the BR55 series rifles. It is most notable for its powerful three-round burst fire and accurate 2x scope, making it more efficient at farther ranges than the MA5 Assault rifle. Design Details “When nothing else gets the job done, the BR55 Battle Rifle will do. As the standard gun for all UNSC forces, the BR55 is the easiest gun to pick up and use. Almost all soldiers have trained with it, making its slight defects less noticeable, while accentuating its high rate of fire and accuracy. With both semi-automatic and burst-fire modes, the BR55 is the backbone of all UNSC armed forces.” — Halo Encyclopedia The BR55 Battle Rifle is a gas-operated, magazine-fed, mid-to-long range weapon capable of semi-automatic and burst-firing modes. Prototypes of the BR55 existed as early as 2524, and were later used in 2525 during the fall of Harvest. By 2548 it had superseded the M392 Designated Marksman Rifle in use in all branches of the military with exception of the Army. The Battle Rifle fires the M634 9.5x40mm X-HP-SAP round from a 36-round magazine.4 Additionally, the weapon features a Telescopic Sight capable of 2x magnification. It does reasonable damage to enemies, being able to kill most within a few bursts (normally four when enemy is fully shielded), and can easily land headshots on unshielded targets, resulting in a one-hit kill. Its' accuracy and range are both also reasonably high, being able to hit a target from medium to semi-long ranges. It is highly recommended to always have one on hand during higher difficulty levels. The titanium alloy weapon is gas-operated with a rotating bolt, therefore the charging handle must be racked before the first round can be fired; this will put a round into the barrel. The charging handle used to chamber the round is located on the left side of the weapon and does not move during operation. Once the first round is fired, the gases from that round—and those to follow—impinge upon a gas piston, which pushes back the bolt carrier, rotating the bolt inside and continuing to chamber rounds until the magazine is empty. Once the magazine is empty, the charging handle (even though not illustrated in-game) can either be pulled back and locked or it can be fully cycled after a fresh magazine has been housed. If it is pulled back and locked, then it must be pushed forward once a fresh magazine is housed to chamber a new round. The magazine release button is located on both sides of the gun with an arrow pointing down towards the housed mag in the stock. The ejection port is located on the right side of the weapon. There is also a fire selector on both sides of the ammo display. The BR55, having a rifled barrel, is 89.9 cm long and is fitted with a scope for increased accuracy. The scope is mounted on the optics rail. The safety is also located above the handle of the weapon. Also, as the magazine of the rifle is inserted behind the trigger, it is classed as a bullpup, as with the MA5B Assault rifle. Ammunition It is interesting to note the ammunition type used for the battle rifle. It uses a new 9.5 x 40mm experimental round. The 7.62 x 51 mm NATO round is a rather high-powered round used on the MA5 and on modern-day marksman rifles and machine guns. The 7.62 mm already has a history of having too much recoil because of the round's high power, which made it hard to fire in full-auto in Assault rifles. Despite the Battle Rifle's shorter case size, the increase in diameter actually increases the amount of powder present. The level of recoil would be enough to drastically decrease accuracy and inhibit the ability to fire controlled bursts for standard Marines, although for Spartans it should not be a problem. However, the size of the round would have a problem fitting in the 36-round magazine of the BR55. If a Heckler & Koch G3 (which is chambered in 7.62 x 51mm) has a standard magazine capacity of 20 and be the size that it is, it would be hard to see a cartridge much wider than the 7.62mm fit inside of a magazine of the Battle Rifle's size and with a capacity of 36 rounds. The Battle Rifle's magazine would have to be about twice as long as it actually is to hold that many rounds. This is a continuous pattern with UNSC Assault rifles; a similar instance occurs with the MA5B. The MA5B has a magazine capacity of 60 rounds, chambered in 7.62 x 51mm, with a magazine size that appears even smaller than the Battle Rifle's magazine. However, they probably use casket mags which are quad-columned and wider but retains original length. Advantages The BR55 has reasonably high power, a decent rate of fire, and high accuracy with an electronic 2x telescopic sights attachment; it can be used to deliver three-round bursts at medium ranges. In multiplayer, three body shots and one head shot will kill a fully shielded opponent, assuming the player does not have an overshield. This weapon will kill an unshielded enemy in a single head shot. Target the head and if you're within range a red dot will appear in your reticule. This requires that only one of the three rounds, from a burst, actually hit and kill an enemy. Therefore, it is possible to kill up to three unshielded opponents in a single burst if they are grouped close enough to each other, though this is an uncommon occurrence. However, right after you shoot, it is possible to only shoot one round rather than three bullets, with a melee attack to disrupt the burst. Against vehicles like the Spectre or Ghost, an experienced player can easily take out the driver, rendering the vehicle immobile, however, this is harder with the Warthog. Disadvantages At longer ranges, it's necessary to minimize strafing movements when firing to avoid "splintering" the shot grouping too much. Since each "shot" is really a three-round burst, certain movements can break up your shot's grouping, and could greatly reduce accuracy. To avoid this, either trade in for the Covenant Carbine, or get up to medium range. The Carbine has the same degree of firepower, and it lacks the splitting effect although it is slightly less accurate. This also affects accuracy when firing from a moving vehicle such as a Warthog (especially when firing at a 90-degree angle from the vehicle's heading). The Battle Rifle is not as effective at long ranges, with stopping power reduced. Each bullet also acts as a tracer which gives away the shooter's position. Also, the range is limited compared to the Sniper Rifle. It is also not effective against Sentinels, and does negligible damage against vehicles. Neither is it an effective weapon at close range, as the low fire rate and average stopping power of the weapon makes any fully-automatic weapon far superior in close-quarters combat. Source: *Halo Wiki: BR55 Service Rifle *thedemonapostle 'BR55 Heavy Barrel Service Rifle' Name: BR55 Heavy Barrel Service Rifle Model: Misriah Armory BR55 Heavy Barrel Service Rifle Type: firearm Scale: character Skill: firearms Ammo: 36 round magazine Fire Rate: Single Shot, Three-round Burst, Full Auto Caliber: 9.5x40mm KURZ/.374 Caliber rounds Range: 1-238/475/950m Damage: 5D Game Notes: If the scope is used for one round of aiming, the character receives an additional +1D to firearms. Description The BR55 Heavy Barrel Service Rifle, abbreviated BR55HB SR and more commonly called the Battle Rifle or BR, is a UNSC infantry firearm and is a newer version of the BR55 Service Rifle. Design Details The BR55HB SR is a select-fire rifle first fielded in 2548 as an improved variant of the BR55 Battle Rifle. The BR55HB SR was designed to further improve on the exemplary performance of its predecessor, which had seen service for over 27 years, the entire duration of the Human-Covenant War. The UNSC employs the Battle Rifle as a medium-range marksman rifle; it fires new 9.5x40mm ammunition from a 36 round magazine, which fits flush in the receiver. The magazine housing is built directly into the underside of the stock of the rifle and is located behind the grip. This titanium alloy weapon is gas-operated with a rotating bolt and therefore must be charged before the first round can be fired. The charging handle used to chamber the round is located on the left side of the weapon and does not move during operation, but is pushed back during reloading. The rifle has a housed magazine in the stock. The ejection port is located on the right side of the weapon. The BR55HB SR has several noticeable differences from the BR55. It has a longer barrel for increased range and accuracy. It is also fitted with Trijicon ACOG-style optics on a modified handle and now also has a trigger guard. The safety is also located above the handle of the weapon. It is never stated exactly what the maximum effective range of the BR55HB SR is. The MA5C Assault rifle, which was described as most suited for short to medium range, as opposed to the Battle Rifle's mid to long, has a maximum effective range of 300 meters and the Covenant Carbine, which is similar in use with the Battle Rifle, has a maximum range of 600 meters. It is stated that the Battle rifle could reach up to 900 meters with deadly accuracy; however, that may have been due to the design of the prototype Battle Rifle, deployed in 2524, and the field issued Battle Rifle may not have that type of range. Ammunition The BR55HB SR uses a 9.5x40mm M634 X-HP-SAP. Even when fired in three-round bursts, the round produces little recoil resulting in nearly no muzzle lift. The rifle's ammo is more effective against both shielded and unshielded Covenant infantry than the 7.62x51mm NATO used in the MA5C Assault rifle, as the increased accuracy leads to an increased amount of headshot the marksman can place on a target, and the increased kinetic energy of the round leads to faster shield depletion and increased damage to unshielded enemies. Advantages The BR55HB SR has reasonably high power, a decent rate of fire, and high accuracy with its 2x magnification scope. Its range is its primary advantage, allowing the rifleman to engage at longer ranges by leading shots. The BR55HB SR has a slightly lower recoil than its BR55 predecessor and has less muzzle flash, although the rounds fired are still visible in the air; the rifle's updated design also boosts range and accuracy, increasing the effectiveness of the 9.5mm rounds it fires. The scope of the BR55HB SR allows a skilled marksman to easily take down an unshielded target from medium range, making the battle rifle the best alternative to the high powered sniper rifle system that the UNSC provides for its marksmen. Disadvantages Attempting to engage a target at longer ranges requires more rounds and less movement as the rounds become inaccurate over longer ranges, while in close quarters combat it is fairly surpassed by the Covenant Carbine in terms of killing the opponent quickly with a headshot. Furthermore, its magazine can be depleted rather quickly. The weapon requires a good amount of skill in order to use it. The user must have an understanding of how the weapon works, and what to do with it when a situation arises. Each bullet fired from the weapon can act as a tracer, and can give away the shooter's position, putting him at risk of return fire. While effective at long range against light or unshielded targets, the BR55HB's performance against shielded infantry at close range is extremely challenging; the BR55HB, while still very effective, is not the weapon of choice at close range because of its design, and the fact that it can be easily overpowered by the Shotgun and Energy Sword. Source: *Halo Wiki: BR55 Heavy Barrel Service Rifle *thedemonapostle